Department for Transport

Railways: Manchester Airport

Lord Scriven: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the decision by the Manchester Recovery Task Force to terminate the direct train service between Sheffield and Manchester Airport, when they expect that service to be reinstated.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Early in 2020 we set up the Manchester Recovery Task Force, a cross-industry group comprising both the train operators and Network Rail, to work collaboratively together for the first time to look at ways of solving the performance problems of Manchester’s complex railway network, in the short term through timetable changes and in the long term through developing a package of infrastructure enhancements. Analysis by the task force showed that, pre-Covid, three services were particularly poor performers in central Manchester and had a significant impact on the transfer of delays across the network. One of the three was South Yorkshire to Manchester Airport services which reverse at Manchester Piccadilly, consuming two train paths in each direction. These trains impact on the Castlefield Corridor through the reversing moves they make. As new infrastructure is realised and longer trains allow for a greater capacity with less congestion, we will look at services that could be reintroduced while maintaining a reliable timetable.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Energy: Meters

Lord Shipley: To ask His Majesty's Government, what steps they are taking to support consumers who cannot monitor their energy consumption via their smart meter as a result of a failure to connect with a data hub.

Lord Callanan: Energy suppliers are required by licence conditions to take all reasonable steps to ensure their customers’ smart meters are fully functional and provide customers with complete and accurate information. Energy suppliers must also offer an In-Home Display (IHD) at the point of installation and provide a replacement or repair for any faulty IHD within the first year of installing a consumer’s smart meters. The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) is responsible for regulating energy suppliers against their licence obligations.

Geothermal Power: Finance

Lord Teverson: To ask His Majesty's Government whatconsideration they have given to the UK’s geothermal industry and the role of the Contracts for Difference scheme in supporting new developments.

Lord Callanan: The Government supports the development of geothermal projects provided it can be done at an acceptable cost to consumers, and the most promising use case in the UK appears to be for heat. Government is supporting the development of low-carbon heat networks and thereby building its capability to harness heat from sources such as geothermal energy. Projects generating electricity from geothermal heat are able to bid into the Contracts for Difference scheme.The Government is also supporting a report seeking evidence on geothermal opportunities in the UK, which will involve gathering industry’s views through stakeholder workshops and interviews.

Fuel Poverty

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what support they are providing to people experiencing fuel poverty as a result of increased energy bills.

Lord Callanan: The Government is committed to supporting all households, especially low income and vulnerable households. This winter, the Government is providing direct support to millions of households through the Energy Price Guarantee and the Energy Bills Support Scheme. This is in addition to targeted support through the cost of living support packages, announced in May (2022-23) and November (2023-24). Both packages target vulnerable and low income households, including those on means-tested benefits, pensioners and those with a disability. Energy efficiency remains the best way to tackle fuel poverty in the long term, with support available through the Energy Company Obligation, Home Upgrade Grant, Local Authority Delivery scheme and Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund.

Department of Health and Social Care

Medicine: Education

Lord Naseby: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reasons why the new medical schools at Worcester, Brunel, and Chester universities are primarily recruiting foreign students rather than UK-based applicants.

Lord Markham: No specific assessment has been made. The Government has committed to publishing a workforce plan next year, which will include independently verified forecasts for the number of healthcare professionals required in future years.

Community Diagnostic Centres

Lord Warner: To ask His Majesty's Government what NHS diagnostic and treatment hubs were established during 2022; what are their locations; what services each hub provides; how they were selected; and when each one became operational.

Lord Warner: To ask His Majesty's Government what elective surgical hubs were established in 2022; what are their locations; what services each hub provides; how they were selected; and when each one became operational.

Lord Warner: To ask His Majesty's Government whether the independent sector was invited to participate in the selection of (1) NHS diagnostic and treatment hubs, or (2) elective surgical hubs; and if so, whether this was on the basis of a specific volume of service contracts or spot purchases.

Lord Warner: To ask His Majesty's Government what arrangements they have put in place to advise (1) GPs, and (2) patients, on their ability to use diagnostic and surgical hubs as an alternative to waiting for treatment at their local hospital.

Lord Markham: A table showing surgical hubs and community diagnostic centres (CDCs) established in 2022, with the services provided, the National Health Service region, the relevant integrated care system and NHS trust, the name of the hub and the date of opening, is attached due to the size of the data. Information on the selection criteria for each CDC and surgical hub is not held centrally.Local systems undertake an evaluation of the most appropriate locations for CDCs, including consideration of accessibility, affordability and addressing inequality and deprivation. Business cases are scrutinised by a national approvals panel with clinical and diagnostic experts to assess feasibility prior to approval. CDC locations are also subject to Ministerial approval. Surgical hub locations have been selected by a clinically-led process to ensure that sites are connected to the appropriate services to deliver high quality outcomes for patients and to consider health inequalities. The independent sector were not invited to participate in the selection of CDCs or surgical hubs.NHS England has engaged with patient forums and undertaken a public awareness campaign on the expansion of services. The Department and NHS England are working with general practitioners (GPs), cancer charities and patient representatives to expand direct GP access to diagnostic scans for those with concerning symptoms which do not align with the two-week cancer referral target to see a specialist.2022 CDC and Hub locations (xlsx, 19.0KB)

Gender Recognition: Children

Lord Blencathra: To ask His Majesty's Government how many children have been prescribed puberty blockers in each of the last 10 years.

Lord Markham: Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists or ‘puberty blockers’ are used to treat several medical conditions in children and young people. These include precocious puberty, some forms of cancer, endometriosis and gender dysphoria. Information on the clinical indication for which these medications have been prescribed is not held centrally. The following table shows the number of identifiable patients where gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists for all purposes for children aged under 18 years old has been prescribed and dispensed in primary and secondary care prescribing and dispensing in the community in England in each year from 2015/16 to September 2022. Data is not held prior to April 2015. Financial yearPatients identified2015/20168852016/20179872017/20181,0472018/20191,0722019/20201,0482020/20219362021/2022864April to September 2022693 Source: NHS Business Services Authority Note:Prescriptions have only been included where a National Health Service number has been identified during processing and an age has been recorded. The same patients may appear in multiple years.

NHS: Drugs

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government, furtherto the Roadmap for integrating specialised services within Integrated Care Systems, published on 31 May, whether NHS England will maintain their current arrangements for commissioning high cost drugs.

Lord Markham: NHS England plans to maintain the arrangements for commissioning high cost drugs established in 2020/21 to 2023/24. During 2020/21 NHS England established a central reimbursement process for high cost drugs based on reported data, to ensure that providers and local commissioners are not exposed to financial risk on drugs which have recently approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, monitor allocation and expenditure and improve financial control.NHS England is exploring more flexibility for systems on the use of high cost drugs to support savings initiatives and reinvestments according to local priorities, while avoiding unnecessary financial risks.

Integrated Care Boards

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government how many Integrated Care Boards they forecast will take on full delegated specialised commissioning responsibility from April 2023.

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government when NHS England will confirm how many multi-Integrated Care Board footprints will be established in 2023 to take on joint commissioning responsibility for specialised services.

Lord Markham: The number of integrated care boards (ICBs) which will take on responsibility for specialised commissioning and the number of multi-ICB footprints has not yet been confirmed. The responsibility for commissioning services assessed to be suitable will be delegated to ICBs or to joint committees of NHS England and ICBs in 2023/24, following an assessment of system readiness.NHS England is currently working with ICBs to assess system readiness, including identifying multi-ICB footprints. Following a moderation process, recommendations will be made to NHS England’s board for final decisions early in 2023, prior to the deployment of the new arrangements from April 2023.

Rare Diseases: Drugs

Baroness Wheeler: To ask His Majesty's Government, furtherto the England Rare Diseases Action Plan 2022, published on 28 February, what is the breakdown of the scope of the NHS’ annual report on the uptake of drugs for patients with rare diseases; and when it will be published.

Lord Markham: NHS England will provide an annual report on the uptake of drugs recommended in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s highly specialised technology programme for patients with rare diseases by the end of 2022/23. This will include data comparing the actual patients receiving a drug with expected numbers. Where the number of patients is sufficiently high for statistical analysis, this will be reviewed to determine whether uptake has been geographically equitable.

Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products

Baroness Wheeler: To ask His Majesty's Government, furtherto the England Rare Diseases Action Plan 2022, published on 28 February, when the strategic approach on Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products will be published; and what engagement is being carried out as part of its development.

Lord Markham: NHS England is continuing to develop its strategic approach on Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs), informed by engagement with patients, providers and the pharmaceutical industry. This is focused on the commissioning and implementation of ATMPs, including service readiness, redesign, investment and provider selection. While no formal publication is currently planned, progress will be reported in England’s Rare Diseases Action Plans.

Rare Diseases: Health Services

Baroness Wheeler: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to hold delivery partners, including NHS England, to account on the remaining incomplete actions in the England Rare Diseases Action Plan 2022, published on 28 February.

Lord Markham: All delivery partners, including NHS England, report on progress at regular meetings of the England Rare Diseases Framework Delivery Group, which provides oversight and coordination for the delivery of England’s Action Plan. Progress reports are made available to stakeholders through the UK Rare Diseases Forum.The next England Rare Diseases Action Plan is due to be published in early 2023 and will include a summary of progress to date against actions in the 2022 Action Plan and updated metrics and milestones for actions which are ongoing. The England Rare Diseases Framework Delivery Group will continue to meet regularly to monitor and report on progress against these ongoing actions.

Palliative Care

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the report by Marie Curie Better End of Life 2022, published in November, which found that “out-of-hours palliative care is currently inadequate and fragmented”, what plans they have to improve out-of-hours palliative care.

Lord Markham: NHS England has published Palliative and End of Life Care: Statutory Guidance for Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) to support commissioners with the implementation of the Health and Care Act 2022. The guidance advises commissioners on defining services to meet population needs 24 hours a day, seven days a week and ensuring that staff, patients and carers can access care and advice. A copy of the statutory guidance is attached. Between December 2021 and March 2022, NHS England allocated more than £4 million for local specialist palliative care advice services, including out-of-hours provision.Palliative and End of Life Care ICB guidance (pdf, 500.2KB)

Coronavirus: Drugs

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the equalities impact of replacing the COVID-19 Medicines Delivery Units in order to move COVID-19 therapeutics delivery to primary care.

Lord Markham: NHS England is supporting integrated care boards (ICBs) to transition COVID-19 therapeutic access and treatment from secondary care-based COVID-19 Medicine Delivery Units to routine access pathways, which may include a greater role for primary care or a patient’s usual care provider, such as hospital specialists. This should improve outcomes for eligible patients and protected groups by offering treatments in more accessible settings which can support long-term demand. ICBs are expected to mitigate local health inequalities and determine how under-served communities can be reached. ICBs will also undertake equality and health inequalities impact assessments when establishing any new local service provision.

Medical Technologies Directorate

Lord Bethell: To ask His Majesty's Government what are theobjectives of the MedTech Directorate of the Department of Health and Social Care; and when they intend to publish the (1) strategy, and (2) workplan, for achieving those objectives.

Lord Markham: The Directorate aims to ensure that the health and care system has a resilient supply chain for safe and high quality products, provides value for money, embeds sustainability, has access to and adoption of innovative products and a managed transition for medical technology issues following the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union and the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.The Directorate has engaged with industry on the Medtech strategy, which is due to be published shortly and is establishing a governing board to oversee the strategy’s implementation. Further information on the implementation of the strategy will be available early in the new year.

Influenza: Drugs

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask His Majesty's Government whether NICE guidelines on influenza Neuraminidase Inhibitor (NI) drugs take account of the importance of rapid diagnostics, given that the optimal impact of NI drugs is within 48 hours of infection.

Lord Markham: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) technology appraisal guidance, Amantadine, oseltamivir and zanamivir for the treatment of influenza, recommends use of the neuraminidase inhibitors oseltamivir and zanamivir in specific circumstances. A copy of the guidance is attached.NICE’s guidance does not require that patients have a test to confirm a diagnosis of influenza prior to initiating treatment. However, it recommends the use of a neuraminidase inhibitor for the treatment of influenza in adults and children, where national surveillance schemes indicate that influenza virus A or B is circulating; the person is in an 'at-risk' group as defined in NICE’s guidance; and the person presents with an influenza-like illness and can commence treatment within 48 hours, or within 36 hours for zanamivir treatment in children, of the onset of symptoms as per the licensed indications.Amantadine, oseltamivir and zanamivir guidance (pdf, 210.4KB)

NHS: Recruitment

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government when NHS England will finalise the recruitment of new clinical leaders in specialised services, including national clinical directors and national specialty advisors.

Lord Markham: This recruitment is complete with the exception of a small number of roles. Further recruitment for these roles is expected to be completed by the end of January 2023.

Health Services

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government when NHS England will publish a timeline for the update of service specifications in specialised services.

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government what specialised services service specifications NHS England will update in 2023.

Lord Markham: NHS England will review and update service specifications for specialised services during the next three to five years. NHS England is currently determining which specifications will be updated in 2023, taking into account progress made in 2022/23 and the emerging priorities for 2023/24.

Dental Services: Finance

Lord Stunell: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the announcement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Autumn Statement on 17 November that the NHS will be given £3.3 billion additional funding, what proportion of that funding will be spent on rebuilding community NHS dentistry servicesin areas with (1) no, or (2) low, take-up of new adult NHS patients, such as Stockport.

Lord Markham: NHS England will publish its planning guidance and funding allocations for 2023/24 in due course. NHS England asked dental practices to return to full delivery of contracted activity from July 2022. In September, we announced how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to dental care. This includes improvements to ensure dentists are renumerated fairly for more complex work, allowing greater flexibility to reallocate resources and to utilise dentists with greater capacity to deliver National Health Service treatment, whilst enabling full use of the dental team. We will also streamline processes for overseas dentists and holding the local NHS to account for dentistry provision. In addition, Health Education England is also reforming dental education to improve the recruitment and retention of dental professionals.

Ophthalmic Services: Learning Disability

Lord Blunkett: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Markham on 1 December (HL3634), whether there remains a NHS Long Term Plan commitmentto invest to ensure that children with learning disabilities have their needs met by eyesight services.

Lord Markham: The NHS Long Term Plan commitment remains in place. NHS England’s current evaluation of its proof-of-concept will inform decisions on the scope, funding and delivery of any future sight testing model.

Electronic Cigarettes: Children and Young People

Lord Storey: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to discourage children and young people from vaping.

Lord Markham: While the Government  supports adult smokers switching to vaping in order to quit smoking,  we continue to discourage use in children and non-smokers. We have introduced a regulatory framework to deter the appeal of vaping to children through restricting product advertising, limits on nicotine strength, labelling and safety requirements and it is illegal to sell vapes to those aged under 18 years old. The Department continues to work with the relevant agencies to ensure these regulations are enforced in England.We have updated online information and advice on the  Better Health and Talk to Frank platform. The Department of Health and Social Care continues to work with the Department of Education to communicate with schools policies to prevent children from vaping.

Midwives

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to make a statement on the midwifery profession in England.

Lord Markham: In 2022, we have invested an additional £127 million in the National Health Service maternity workforce and improving neonatal care. This is further to the £95 million invested in 2021 to fund an additional 1,200 midwives and 100 consultant obstetricians. The NHS People Plan also aims to improve working conditions for staff through flexible working and supporting an inclusive and compassionate workplace culture.

Coronavirus: Drugs

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the publication of the RAPID C-19 Oversight Group report on 6 October, whether the Antivirals and Therapeutics Taskforce has determined the nature and threshold of evidence required for a prophylactic monoclonal antibody treatment to be made available via interim clinical policy before an appraisal by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

Lord Markham: The interim procurement decisions on COVID-19 treatments, including prophylactics, have been based on the available evidence of clinical effectiveness and advice from expert groups, including RAPID C-19 and a United Kingdom national expert policy working group. This considers the available clinical evidence for efficacy in preventing symptomatic infection, hospitalisation or mortality from COVID-19. Any future decisions on licensed treatments in England, including prophylactics, will be taken through the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s health technology evaluation process.

Ambulance Services: Strikes

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans theyhave, if any, to ensure the running of an effective ambulance service in the event of any industrial action by ambulance workers.

Lord Markham: NHS England is leading national planning to ensure that employers and trade unions discuss local derogations to identify which services are exempt from strike action to protect patient safety. NHS England is also providing targeted support to some hospitals facing delays with ambulance handovers through a winter improvement collaborative programme to share best practice. The National Health Service is increasing capacity by the equivalent of at least 7,000 general and acute beds and £500 million has been allocated for the Adult Social Care Discharge Fund to improve patient flow through hospitals and reduce waiting times in transferring ambulance patients to accident and emergency departments.

Coronavirus: Drugs

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of people who received COVID-19 treatment in a community setting subsequently died from COVID-19.

Lord Markham: This information is not held centrally in the format requested. NHS England continues to work with research organisations to understand the impact of treatments on clinical outcomes, such as the RECOVERY, PANORAMIC, OpenSAFELY or ISARIC studies.

Department for Work and Pensions

Office for Budget Responsibility: Vacancies

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to forecasts by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) regarding vacancies in the labour market, what assessment they have made of the level of vacancies in relation to unemployment.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: Unemployment is falling and the number of people on payroll is at record levels. The DWP uses ONS data, which shows unemployment to vacancy ratio for Jul-Sep 2022 is 1, meaning that there is approximately one unemployed person for every vacancy in the UK. This ratio is unchanged on the quarter, and down 0.3 on the year- a result of falling unemployment and rising vacancies over the last year. This ratio is at a near record low level, and we will continue to monitor these figures going forward. The Department for Work and Pensions aims to help people move into work across the country, to help employers fill vacant posts to fulfil people’s potential and ensure employers can access the skills and talent they need for the future.

Home Office

Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

Lord Hylton: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Murray of Blidworth on 29 November (HL3419), what proportion of the approximately £195 million committed to the government of France since January 2018 has been spent on controllingirregular migration.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: I refer Lord Hylton to my previous written response to HL 3419 regarding UK funding committed to France to tackle illegal migration.

Refugees

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government, other than for asylum seekers from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq, what are the safe and legal routes into the UK for those seeking asylum.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: The UK has a proud record of providing protection for people fleeing war and persecution. Whilst we sympathise with people in many difficult situations around the world, we are not bound to consider asylum claims from the very large numbers of people overseas who might like to come here. Those who need international protection should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach as that is the fastest route to safety.In addition to dedicated resettlement schemes for Syria, Afghanistan, Hong Kong and Ukraine, the UK welcomes refugees and people in need of protection through the UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS), Community Sponsorship, Family Reunion, and Mandate Resettlement Schemes. These are global routes which have allowed thousands of people fleeing war and persecution to rebuild their lives in the UK.

Asylum

Lord Hylton: To ask His Majesty's Government whatsteps they are taking to reduce (1) the time taken to make decisions on asylum applications, and (2) the backlog of older cases.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: To further accelerate decision making we will drive productivity improvements by simplifying and modernising our system. This includes measures like shortening interviews, removing unnecessary interviews, making guidance simpler and more accessible, dealing with cases more swiftly where they can be certified as manifestly unfounded and recruiting extra decision makers.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Local Government: Flags

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask His Majesty's Government what permission local authorities need to fly the (1) Ukrainian flag, (2) UN flag, (3) EU flag, and (4) flag of any country other than the UK or Ukraine.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The display of flags in England is controlled under The Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements)(England) Regulations 2007 (as amended). Certain flags, as specified under Class H of Schedule 1 to the Regulations, do not require advertisement consent. These include the national flags of any country and the flags of the Commonwealth, the United Nations or any other international organisation of which the United Kingdom is a member.

Temporary Accommodation: Children

Lord Shipley: To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of how many children are expected to be in temporary accommodation over the forthcoming Christmas period.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The latest statutory homelessness statistics for April to June 2022 can be found (attached) here . This includes data on the number of households in temporary accommodation in England, including the number of children.Homelessness statistics for April to June 2022 (pdf, 111.4KB)

Social Rented Housing: Construction

Lord Shipley: To ask His Majesty's Government how many new homes to let at Social Rent in England (1) were completed in each of the last three years, and (2) are expected to be completed during the forthcoming year.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The number of new social rent homes delivered by local authority since 1991-92, including acquisitions of existing stock, can be found in Live Table 1006C, published (attached) at the following link.The number of starts on site for new social rent homes since 2015-16 can be found in Live Table 1006S, via the same link. We are monitoring delivery of our housing programmes closely. We are working with our delivery partners, and the Sector to help support delivery.Live Table (pdf, 152.2KB)

Social Rented Housing: Construction

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government whatestimate they have made of the number of social homes built in each local authority area in each of the last five years.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The number of new affordable homes delivered, including acquisitions, since 1991-92, can be found in Live Table 1008C, published here . Figures for new build only can be found in Live Table 1011 or through the open data found at the same link.Live Table (xls, 941.5KB)

Treasury

Financial Services: Regulation

Lord Sharkey: To ask His Majesty's Government which of the Chancellor’s proposed reforms to financial services regulation, announced in Edinburgh on 8 December, will (1) require primary legislation, (2) require secondary legislation, (3) be achievable using existingpowers; and for each of the proposed reforms that can be made using existing powers, what power they intend to use in each case.

Baroness Penn: The Edinburgh Reforms, launched by the Chancellor on 9 December, take forward the government’s ambition for the UK to be the world’s most innovative and competitive global financial centre. We are committed to an open, sustainable, and technologically advanced financial services sector that is globally competitive and acts in the interests of communities and citizens across all four nations of the UK. As part of the Edinburgh Reforms package, several consultations were either launched or trailed. It would not be appropriate to pre-judge the outcome of these consultations, nor how any measures may be implemented when final government policy has yet to be agreed. The outcomes of these consultations will be taken forward in the usual manner and peers will be able to engage in the normal ways depending on the precise form of implementation. As set out in the Chancellor's written statement, a number of reforms will require secondary legislation. These are: Secondary legislation in Q1 2023 to remove burdens for firms trading commodities derivatives as an ancillary activity. The powers to implement this can be found in: Article 3 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) Order 2001, Article 3 of the Financial Service and Markets Act 2000 (Markets in Financial Instruments) Regulations 2017, and Article 4 of the Financial Regulators’ Powers (Technical Standards etc.) (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018.Secondary legislation in 2023 to improve the functionality of the ring-fencing regime. The powers to implement these proposed reforms, which will be subject to consultation in mid-2023, can be found in Part 9B of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.Secondary legislation, when parliamentary time allows, to amend the Building Societies Act 1986. The powers to implement this can be found in Section 7 of the Building Societies Act 1986, and Section 104 (1) of the Building Societies Act 1986. Additionally, the government will add transactions in certain cryptoassets to the Investment Management Exemption list for tax purposes. The existing list of investment transactions is set out in the Investment Manager (Investment Transactions) Regulations 2014. HMRC is able to make this change using existing powers contained in sections 827(2) and 835S(4) ITA07 and section 1150 CTA10. Several of the Edinburgh Reforms are also being taken forward as primary legislation through the Financial Services and Markets Bill (FSM). These are the implementation of a Financial Market Infrastructure Sandbox in 2023, the establishment of a safe regulatory environment for stablecoins and the repeal of retained EU law in financial services. The FSM Bill contains provisions that will enable the government to commence the repeal of retained EU law in financial services and implement its replacement, a smarter regulatory framework specifically tailored to the UK, using secondary legislation following the passage of the Bill. The government will also legislate in the Finance Bill to amend the tax rules for Real Estate Investment Trusts.

Energy Price Guarantee

Lord Kamall: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they examined the case for (1) reducing VAT on domestic fuel, and (2) raising the personal allowance for taxpayers, as an alternative to the Energy Price Guarantee before they announced the Autumn Statement on 17 November; and if not, why not.

Baroness Penn: The Government made the difficult but necessary decision to maintain income tax thresholds until April 2028 to ensure the tax system supports strong public finances. Maintaining these thresholds is universal, progressive and fair. The highest earners will contribute more of the revenue. Even with the decision to maintain thresholds the Personal Allowance (PA) has increased by over 40 per cent in real terms since 2010, ensuring some of the lowest earners do not pay income tax. Thanks to the PA, in 2021-22 around 30% of earners didn’t pay tax. The UK’s PA is high by international standards – it is one of the most generous personal tax allowances in the OECD and highest in the G7.The Government also recognises that families should not have to bear all of the VAT costs they incur to meet their needs, with domestic fuels such as gas, electricity and heating oil already subject to the reduced rate of VAT at 5 per cent of VAT. The Government's package of support to help households with their energy bills is more generous than an additional VAT cut on domestic fuel and power, and there would be no guarantee that suppliers would pass on the discounts from this relief to all customers. As with all aspects of the tax system, the Government will continue to keep income tax thresholds and VAT under review and any decisions on future changes will be taken by the Chancellor in the context of the wider public finances.

Credit

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to increase regulation for unregulated digital Buy-Now-Pay-Later products; and if so, when they intend to introduce such measures.

Baroness Penn: The Government has announced its intention to bring currently unregulated Buy-Now Pay-Later products into Financial Conduct Authority regulation. The Government published a consultation on a proposed proportionate approach to regulation in October 2021, and published a response to that consultation in June 2022. The Government will publish a consultation on draft legislation soon.

Credit Rating: First Time Buyers

Lord Blunkett: To ask His Majesty's Government what consultations they have had with UK mortgage lenders regarding their assessment procedures, including the use of algorithms, for creditworthiness; and what steps they will take to ensure that first-time-buyers who have been renting from more than one landlord immediately prior to their mortgage application will not be disadvantaged during credit record checks.

Baroness Penn: The Treasury are in regular contact with mortgage lenders on all aspects of their business, including lending to first-time buyers. However, the pricing and availability of loans is a commercial decision for lenders in which the Government does not intervene. Likewise, beyond what is set out in regulation, the factors that lenders take into consideration when assessing mortgage applications is a commercial decision for individual lenders to make. Nevertheless, this Government remains committed to making the aspiration of homeownership a reality for as many households as possible. Indeed, we are investing £11.5 billion to build more of the affordable, quality homes this country needs, and operate a range of schemes that aim to: increase the supply of low-deposit mortgages for credit-worthy households, increase the availability of new housing, and stimulate economic growth. These include First Homes, Shared Ownership through the Affordable Homes Programme and the Mortgage Guarantee Scheme. The Government also helps first-time buyers to save for a deposit through the Lifetime ISA and Help to Buy: ISA. Over 800,000 households have been helped to purchase a home since spring 2010 through these Government-backed schemes, with the annual number of first-time buyers at a 20-year high in 2021.

Retail Trade: Money

Lord Stone of Blackheath: To ask His Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of the levels of compliance by businesses with the Bills of Exchange Act 1882; and what steps they will take to ensure that cash is accepted in all retail establishments.

Baroness Penn: A bill of exchange is a paper financial instrument that is used to transfer money from one person to another instead of the transfer of the actual money itself. The Bills of Exchange Act 1882 does not specify how they must pay if one is agreed. As technology and consumer behaviour changes, it should remain the choice of individual organisations as to whether to accept or decline any form of payment, including cash or card, based on their consideration of factors such as customer preference and cost. Nonetheless, the Government recognises that many people continue to transact in cash across the UK. The Government is currently taking legislation to protect access to cash across the UK through Parliament as part of the Financial Services and Markets Bill 2022. The legislation will establish the Financial Conduct Authority as the lead regulator for access to cash with responsibility and powers to seek to ensure reasonable provision of withdrawal and deposit facilities. This legislation will support local businesses to continue accepting cash by ensuring they have reasonable access to deposit facilities. Further details about the Financial Services and Markets Bill can be found on the Parliament website.

Personal Income: National Insurance Contributions

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide financial support to those experiencing a decrease in income as a result of an increase in National Insurance contributions.

Baroness Penn: 30 million people will be better off by an average of £480 in 2023-24 due to changes made to National Insurance Contribution (NICs) thresholds and rates earlier this year.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

BBC: Complaints

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of Ofcom's systems of investigating and reporting on complaints about BBC bias.

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to establish a new body, with a majority of non-BBC members, to ensure that the BBC is compliant with its charter requirements on impartiality and accuracy.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: The current Royal Charter for the BBC, introduced in January 2017, established Ofcom as the BBC’s regulator to ensure that the corporation is robustly, and independently, held to account as the nation's broadcaster.His Majesty’s Government is clear that the BBC has to provide high-quality, distinctive content and services. It is ultimately a matter for Ofcom as the independent regulator on how to enforce these obligations through regulation.Ofcom is responsible for editorial standards, and can consider complaints about BBC content, including accuracy and impartiality.The Government is looking at the governance and regulation of the BBC as part of the Mid-Term Review of the Charter. The Terms of Reference for that review can be found here. The Mid-Term Review will consider whether the current regulatory arrangements for the BBC are working effectively and whether any reforms are necessary.